it simply needed to be documented!

This morning's breakfast was our introduction to messy food. Except, i forgot to put a bib on him...I didn't get a photo of just how messy he was because i didn't want to touch the camera once i picked him up!!!

I decided a few days ago to buy some baby puree that i'd seen - it's organic and the only ingredients are what they say on the front - for different feeding options. This morning's breakfast was some of this puree - 'Sweet Potato, Pumpkin, Apple and Blueberry' (surprisingly ok combination) spread on rice cakes... but then he got a bit fed up so for awhile in there it was puree on the spoon - which I let him feed himself. It was hilarious. He was VERY happy. We won't do it everyday as the puree isn't cheap...but it's better for him than jam, and he obviously can't be having butter or cheese....

and this last photo was taken a few weeks ago but i just found it...

cuddly days

well. it's a rainy and miserable day here, so it's time to get stuff sorted! like passports, blogging, tidying, etc. all the things i avoid like the plague.

everyday eden is becoming that much more co-ordinated, that much more interested in his surroundings. we had lunch in the pub yesterday and after he got bored with his melon, he sat on my knee doing his best to steal my pear cider and sorbet! 

this week we'll be going to the doctor again to sort out lactose free formula. finally the big question - will he take it - will be answered. i'm not sure what the plan is if he refuses it! we haven't thought through that far.

he is loving his high-chair. there is still only so long he'll sit in it, but he is still quite young. 

we're attempting to wean him off his dummy...yesterday he wasn't really interested in it, other than for sleeping... this morning he's been a bit clingy/grumpy so it's been in...i just don't want him to be 4, running around with a dummy in his mouth!!!

the countdown is on until canada. phil is on his final placement, and starting to look for jobs... a break will be SO nice. I mean, i know that i am off all the time...but it's different on weekends or when phil is around. 

eden is constantly pulling funny faces with his mouth shape... i suppose it's learning to form sounds, etc, but it is hilarious. constantly puckering, or sucking in his bottom lip, or making his lips go flat (so they kind of look like a duck's bill!).... so i'll leave you with this photo...it's my favourite lately.

there and back

well we went to leicester yesterday to see mark and anna and bethany! eden will be glad that we're doing no major driving for some time now. being home is difficult for a few days.

he's now eaten:

roasted sweet potato

roasted potato

steamed apple

steamed pear

cucumber

tomato

melon

kiwi

steamed zucchini

the latter be the only one not liked!!!

anyway he's struggling to fall asleep for his nap so better go see him

another day done

eden decided that bedtime needed to come early tonight...mostly because he only had

snippets of an afternoon nap (he'd fall asleep in transit). so we skipped story time and 

i put him down and he fell asleep within a minute.

the bedtime routine does work pretty well though. it starts with a bath, sometime between

6 and 7 usually (tonight it was 5:30). we do it when he starts giving his signs - eye rubbing and trying to turn into you and close his eyes.  then i top him up with milk (usually the last feed wasn't that long before)...and phil reads him stories. then he is placed in the cot, the cd is turned on (either African Lullabies or White Noise, depending on the situation) and the job is a goodun. Sometimes there is the occasional dummy call as he falls asleep but usually i just walk out of the room and go back a few hours later for a feed.

this video was taken this morning around 7:30am.

this one is of him in his bouncer...not so bouncy today but noisy!

he is looking more and more like a little boy. phil and i took a bunch of photos in whittingham today, as it was lovely and sunny. eventually some of them will make it on here. he had a little baseball cap on that came with an outfit...it's not supposed to fit yet, but the hat is almost too small. That's because my son is a monster-child!

it's a party and everyone is invited

Well, its all happening. Eden is eating regularly (although still only very little amounts)...and, for the most part, he is feeding himself! His favourite foods are all of those that phil hates - cucumber and tomato being the top 2. Tomorrow we're going to start on cooked foods. The advice is to make them soft enough to be able to mush in your mouth with your tongue. We'll see how that venture goes!

(this banana didn't go so well, as he immediately squashed it between his fingers and couldn't find it to get into his mouth!)

He has also suddenly discovered how to use his baby bouncer. He has always enjoyed it, but only moved a little bit. On Friday, however, I put him in it and he immediately started going crazy - bouncing, jumping and dancing. It was HILARIOUS. He does it every time now. I'm going to video it soon. He gets really tired though but as soon as he is partially in the harness, away his little legs go...and getting him out is complicated. It starts with some whinging, so I'll give him his dummy but he won't stop bouncing to get it to his mouth...he simply keeps his mouth wide open and bounces harder!!!!!!

we're still sleeping terribly. some nights are worse than others. last night was extremely bad... so i took 2 naps today! this definitely needs to be sorted out, but i'm not sure how. the past few nights he's been restless but he never is awake in the middle of the night, just crying and trying to sleep. Phil says that its me keep eden up all night... i think he's mistaken!

(i can't seem to add the photos i want to add. i'll speak to phil about this and sort it out!)

we can't find the tooth anymore...can they retreat? 

we've started introducing eden to food. our idea is to do baby-led weaning, which means we'd put finger foods in front of him and when he was ready, he'd feed himself. so far, however, it really means that i hold food in his mouth while he chomps happily away. i'm not surprised, he prefers it when i hold his toys as well (lazy child). so he has had a bit of carrot, although he was in a terrible mood...but melon, apple, and kiwi have been far more successful. someone has given me a bit of stick on giving him fruit, saying that he'll only eat sweet stuff and what about his teeth...but come on, it's FRUIT...

so sometime this week we'll be moving on to cucumber, broccoli and tomatoes.

unfortunately he hates his highchair. it's really big...i cannot decide if we should invest in one (it was given to us) or just wait...but he won't be big enough any time soon...so what are we supposed to do? lots of people use bumbo chairs in the interim, however we'll be gone for such a long time while he would be using it...so it'd be a waste of money...i think

he did really well on the weekend away and slept great in his pop-up cot. i wish it lasted for a few years rather than for a few more months!

the tooth has sprouted...h,my

...much to everyone's relief!

i thought he was looking particularly cute yesterday...there'll be more of these shots at some point...

eden LOVES his bouncer....especially as its facing out hallway mirror...at first he only would 'walk' in circles but he's starting to bounce as well...

eden now has to wear socks on his arms, to bed, in order to keep them protected from his constant sucking (making the excema worse) and to protect him from the emollient we need to put on them. we think it looks funny.

eden now grabs at everything near him...my hair,my mouth, my nose, my phone....paper, ...all of it. he's still a bit shaky with doing what he wants with his hands but he definitely uses them!

anyway, have a nice weekend!